Abstract:

In the present study the possibility of weapon focus influencing auditory memory was explored. Weapon focus refers to the finding that the presence of a weapon impairs memory for other visual information, such as the perpetrator's physical characteristics. In the present study the target character in a video either carried a handgun or a popular soft drink or held a conversation with a control person that varied in difficulty of comprehension. Witnesses tried to remember visual and auditory information about the target. Accuracy of memory for the content of the target's speech was impaired by the presence of a weapon, but only if comprehension was difficult. The evidence suggests that the weapon focus effect crosses sensory modalities. Practical implications of the results are discussed.